Human Heat, Norwegian Arms, Liam O'Brien's Faithless Followers

Musician Alex Schaaf started his project Yellow Ostrich while living in Madison, then had a few fruitful years expanding Yellow Ostrich into a band in New York City. Since Yellow Ostrich broke up in 2014, Schaaf has continued making music under the name Human Heat, and now resides in Minneapolis. He's also toured as a live member of folk outfit The Tallest Man On Earth. Human Heat plays here behind its debut full-length, All Is Too Much, which leaves behind some of Yellow Ostrich's more exuberant tendencies. It's not necessarily a downer of a record, but it definitely finds Schaaf taking things down a notch and looking inward, making for songs like "Best For You" and "Someone Closer" that hover between sleek electronic and vocal hooks and an unmistakable sense of wounded reflection. —Scott Gordon